Vicious, Sweet Surrender
by Demented Insane Spirit
Summary: Bandageshipping. Shizuka had never interacted with her brother’s friends much, but when she sees Ryou Bakura hunched in an alley, trying to fend off his yami, she knows that she has to help him somehow. One shot.


DIS: The favorite people I adore pairing up with Ryou are Miho and Shizuka. Ironically, they are both people that rejected Honda (more or less.) I like putting Miho with Honda occasionally. In any case, I had a headache and was trying to get rid of it by looking through old documents and one was a YGO shipping list of those that I liked. Therein, I got inspiration for this story, haha...

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_Title: Vicious, Sweet Surrender_

_Rating: K and Up_

_Genre: Romance_

_Summary: Bandageshipping. Shizuka had never interacted with her brother's friends much, but when she sees Ryou Bakura hunched in an alley, trying to fend off his yami, she knows that she has to help him somehow. One shot._

_Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own YuGiOh_

_Notes/Warnings: bandageshipping, could be interpreted as screamshipping; Bakura/Shizuka/Ryou; one shot; first attempt at this couple_

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_Vicious, Sweet Surrender_

The light outside was fading, painting shades of pink, orange, and lavender on the sky. The azure of the sky clashed with the colours, giving it an ethereal look to it. Shizuka Katsuya's mouth curved in a delighted smile as she tilted her head back to peer up at the heavens, taking in the colours. When she had been younger, she had taken such scenery for granted. After nearly losing her sight, she was more careful in observing her surroundings and enjoying the colours and sights before her. Shizuka had taken to bringing her camera with her everywhere so that she wouldn't lose the memory of the sights. Because of that, she was seriously considering photography as a potential career, something she had never really considered over until then.

_I can't wait to show Jounouchi these pictures, _she thought, pausing near a lamp post to touch her purse. She had taken time to capture the pictures of the sunset from all angles and different parts of the city. _I wonder if he even noticed the sunset...? _A tendril of uncertainty slid into her thoughts at showing her older brother, Jounouchi Katsuya, the photographs. She wasn't sure if he would truly care about them. _No, Jounouchi has always been the romantic type of guy, _she firmly assured herself. _He acts immature, but I can tell that there is a deep soul behind it all. _She smiled to herself and continued on through Domino City.

Originally, she had simply gone out to the corner store to buy a carton of milk. The sunset had driven her away from the store and further away from her neighborhood on a walk. Shizuka found that, although she had chores that needed to be done at home, she didn't regret being sidetracked. In fact, a part of her was glad that she had been. _It's not as if I want to do my chores, anyway, _she reflected as the sunset began to slide back into a normal sky with dull, lifeless colours and clouds. _Mother won't be angry as long as I get them done. I always do them, anyway. _

Shizuka was passing an alley when there was an abrupt sound that startled her. She froze at the mouth of the alley, listening intently and searching the darkness for what might have made the sound. She glanced behind her, seeing there were only a few people on the sidewalks. Deciding it would be unsafe for her to investigate the sound, she made to leave, but there was a low moan of agony. Hesitantly, she inched in the alley, straining her ears to discern whether it was an animal or human. Another groan, this time accompanied by a, "No..." had her sprinting into the darkness.

"Hello?" She called. "Hello, are you hurt?" She ran her hand over the wall to guide her footing. She listened again; there was no response, only a long silence that caused a shiver of apprehension to run up her spine. "...Hello?" She quietly whispered. There wasn't any sound in the alley, only a stillness, as if no one had ever been there. Her eyes searched the darkness futilely, able to make out only outlines of objects. As Shizuka's eyes adjusted, she found a huddled form on the ground, shuddering. Very slowly, she moved towards them, placing her hand on their back. "Let me help you, please."

The body stilled and a harsh voice whipped out, "I don't need your help, little girl." She removed her hand, taking a step back in confusion. She heard a growl of frustration from the male and then he rose to his feet, stumbling back against the wall. Her eyes went a bit wide at recognizing the pale hair of Ryou Bakura's. He was a friend of her brother's, so she suspected he was safe to be around. Somehow, though, she felt frightened. "Heh...I remember you."

Suddenly, she remembered that time on Kaiba's blimp when she was captured in the Shadow Realm with her brother and his friends with all those eyes staring down at her. She raised trembling hands to her face as the alley faded and she was surrounding by walls of some membrane. Slowly, slits parted in the wall, revealing wide eyeballs gazing down at her and seeming to bore through her. "No...," she whispered, pressing her palms against her cheekbones, her fingers tangling in her hair. "_No._"

Some force jerked Shizuka's hands from her hair and she blinked quickly. The eyes disappeared, replaced with the harsh features of Bakura, the evil spirit of Ryou's Sennen Ring. She stared at him blankly and then her breath caught in her throat as she realized her wrists were in his hands. She pulled them from his grip and he instantly released her, sneering as she collided into the opposite wall. Shizuka leaned against it, watching him warily. He never moved to threaten her, his face tense, as though he were having an inward battle.

_He must be, _she realized, her expression twisting in puzzlement. _The voice I heard when I was at the end of the alley wasn't his. I think it was Ryou's. He took control of Ryou's body again. I think so, anyway. _

"Don't even think about it, girl," came the dark voice of Bakura's. "Ryou can only fight me for so long. If you were wise, you would run now. Once I am in complete control, I won't bother with keeping you alive." She glanced to the end of the alley, tempted. However, there was the matter of Ryou, and if he _did _manage to regain control of his body. He would be exhausted, so she wanted to be there for him.

"You're...you're underestimating him," she stated with an effort. "Ryou is stronger than you're giving him credit for." One of his eyebrows rose in skepticism, his mouth tightening into a thin line.

"You think he can overcome me?"

"Already, you are weakening," Shizuka pointed out, her legs shaking from her bravery. She knew it was stupid to stand up to this man, who her brother and his friends once learned had been a thief in his past life. The pharaoh of the Sennen Puzzle, Atemu, had chosen to remain in this world rather than return to his own and the thief, Bakura, also chose this lifestyle. She knew that it was difficult on Ryou's part, as he and Bakura were constantly fighting over his body. Now was one of those times.

"Hm...I could control you, you know," he murmured in the quiet of the alley. "I could take over your body and make you do scandalous things and nobody would know it was me. Once I gain control of Ryou's body, I could bash your head in the wall and hide you so that no one would know you were dead. I could make everyone forget you and you would simply disappear." His mouth curled in a vicious smile. "There are so many things that could happen to you in the space of a few minutes, none of which you can possibly imagine. Again, I advise you to escape if you value your life at all." He lifted a hand, stretching the fingers out. "I am winning the battle."

"Ryou can win it. He just needs encouragement and no one is there to do that for him." His hand flashed down to his side, clenching into a fist as his face tautened. Her face lit up with hope, seeing that her words had affected Ryou. She couldn't seem him, but that didn't mean she wasn't aware of his presence. Bakura snarled and lunged forward. She let out a tiny cry of surprise. Before she was given a chance to run, he had her caged in with his arms. She clutched her arms to her chest, staring up at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"Meddling female," he whispered, his breath caressing her cheek. "This won't be the last time you see me. I'll make sure of it." His narrowed eyes flashed and then softened. She blinked, seeing a briefly confused expression cross the gentler features of Bakura's abiou. Without thinking, she flung her arms around Ryou Bakura as though he were an old friend she hadn't seen in years.

"Um..." He removed his hands from the wall and placed them on her shoulders, clearly not sure what he should do. "I'm sorry, Shizuka...for putting you in that position with him." He sounded worn and tired. She withdrew and gave him a shaky smile, her eyes threatening to spill over. Quickly blinking away the tears, she took a few steps back, embarrassed at having embraced him so enthusiastically.

"It's okay. It was my fault for coming down into an alley, after all." She laughed and then took his arm, guiding him towards the exit. "Please, let me take you home. I'm afraid you'll collapse in the middle of the sidewalk if you go alone." He looked briefly disconcerted by this notion and then nodded.

Ryou was accustomed to being touched by girls, as his self-proclaimed fan club at school always petted him and fondled him like some sort of animal. He had never spoken to Shizuka much, as he had never had the chance to and the circumstances in which they saw each other were generally unpleasant. Her touch, however, was not like the other girls'. It was caring, albeit impersonal at the same time. Despite his weariness from fighting with Bakura, he couldn't help but allow a small smile ease its way on his lips.

The smile quickly slipped from away as he considered over how Bakura had treated Shizuka. He had been more than a bit upset with her words that had assisted Ryou in breaking through Bakura's control. He might not have pushed himself to regain his body if not for Shizuka's encouraging words. _But what good does it do when I am so tired? _Ryou mused sullenly. _Well, at least I know that _he_ won't be doing anything with it. _

"Thank you, Shizuka," he told her, smiling softly. "But, um, shouldn't you be at home? It is getting dark..." Secretly, Ryou feared that Jounouchi might emerge and discover him with his sister. It didn't matter if he was a friend to him; brothers tended to act first and talk later when it came to theirs sisters, especially if they are younger. "I hate letting you walk home by yourself. There are all sorts of freaks out."

Shizuka glanced at him when he said that and saw a shadow pass over his face briefly. She clutched his arm, stopping him on the sidewalk. "Oh, Ryou, you're not one of those people that hurt others," she told him in a quiet, but passionate voice. "I don't know you as well as Yuugi and Anzu and Honda, but I can tell that you are a good person. You only have to watch the way people move and look them in the eyes to know what type of person they are. I can tell that you have a warm heart. It's the person from the Sennen Ring that has the dark heart."

_Heh...She doesn't know what I have done with your hands, does she, abiou? _Bakura's taunting voice asked him. _I might be the one with the dark heart, but the blood is still on your hands. I am a part of you. I can read your darkest thoughts and carry them out. No one knows that. _He chuckled. _Yuugi is purely innocent, what with the pharaoh as his yami. You, on the other hand... _He trailed off, leaving Ryou's heart hollow and his mind shrouded in guilt and shame.

"Let's hurry," Ryou suggested, avoiding her gaze. "The sooner we get to my apartment, the sooner you can get to your own home." He forced a friendly smile on his lips and after a pause, she nodded, beaming in return. She released his arm and walked with him in companionable silence. The only other girl he had walked with as a friend had been Anzu and she always filled the silence with some kind of conversation. It was nice to simply walk and enjoy someone's company when he was actually able.

_She doesn't have to be hurt, Bakura, _Ryou told his yami. _She doesn't understand things as well as those in Yuugi's group do._

_The girl knows enough, _was the unfeeling response he received. _She was there in the Battle City finals. That was when they gained most of their knowledge of things, what with Malik and his sadistic other half. She will be given no mercy. Let me warn you, Ryou, that she will not be there the next time we have to fight each other for control. I released control willingly because I knew you would continue to hinder me while that girl was there. Things will not be so easy next time._

_...I won't let there be a next time._

_Yes, I forget that is why you keep to your solitude so persistently, _Bakura snidely answered. Ryou felt him leave his mind, furrowing in the very depths of the Sennen Ring. He inwardly sighed, hating these disputes with Bakura more and more. He didn't even know himself as well as the tomb robber did. Bakura knew how to reopen wounds that he pretended were nonexistent; it made speaking with him too difficult.

Soon, he and Shizuka came to his apartment. She smiled at him and then took his hand, squeezing it gently. "Don't ever let him bully you, Ryou. You're not as weak as he makes you believe." She released his hand and walked a few feet, waving to him and then turning her back to him. Ryou watched her, a sad expression on his face.

"You're wrong, Shizuka," he murmured with a sigh. "I _am_ weak."

--

That year, Shizuka had begun attending Domino High. She remained with the freshmen and unless she had a problem with one of the upperclassmen, she didn't seek her brother out. Jounouchi would sometimes come to see her with his cocky, playful grin lighting up his handsome features. Her friends would giggle and ask her all kinds of embarrassing questions that she didn't want to even consider when it came to her brother.

About a week after encountering Ryou and his yami, she was playing volleyball with the other girls on the team after school. Her long, auburn hair was pulled up in a tail, her bangs framing her face. She and the other girls were in their gym clothes, shorts that seemed more like underwear and white shirts that were tucked in the shorts. When the girls paused for a break, Shizuka saw a familiar figure leaning against the gate to the court. Despite the warmth of the air, she felt a chill pass over her skin, knowing by the violent stare that it was Bakura, not Ryou, who was watching her.

She glanced back at her friends and the other girls and then jogged over to the gate. He pushed off from it and his arms unfolded from their position across his chest. His uniform was open, revealing the white shirt beneath it. She tentatively approached him, baffled at why he had been waiting for her attention. Surely he wouldn't do anything to her with everyone watching?

"...Does Ryou know you're here?" She asked him, feeling a bit stupid at the question. Shouldn't he know with them sharing his body? Shizuka began to think that she had good reason to ask such a thing when a smirk curved his mouth upward.

"No," he answered, "he doesn't. I don't intend on telling him, either. He wasn't expecting me to take control, as he has been conscious for the first part of the day. I pay attention to the finer details that Ryou's ears hear, but he pays no attention to, and discovered that you were playing this foolish little game after school." He indicated the court with a tilt of his chin. She merely stared at him, feeling a tremble start in her body. "I am about to give you some light on me and my light."

"...Excuse me?"

Ignoring her, he continued, "Yuugi and Atemu are one, with similar minds, as are Ryou and I." Her lips parted to deny that, but she was given no chance to voice anything as he rode over her with his words, "Yuugi holds a completely pure heart. He has also lived a rather sheltered life. From what I learned, your brother once bullied him and yet he considered him a _friend_." He snorted and then gave a chilling smile. "Ryou doesn't hold that good of a soul. I hear his darkest thoughts and have made them become true. Sometimes he isn't even consciously aware of them. Do you see, Shizuka Katsuya? I _am_ his dark heart."

"No...You are lying."

"This is a fact that everyone, included your brother and Yuugi and their group have known." He took her chin in his fingers. "You are the only one who was ignorant."

"Ryou is _good_," she insisted, biting down on her lip as tears slid down her cheeks. "I know he is. He...must be. I'm never wrong when I make a judgment about someone. I know I don't know him well, but he...but he _is_ good. I can feel it." Bakura laughed and released her chin. She wiped her tears away, trying to bring up a brave front and failing. _I'm not brave, _she thought, feeling dismal and lost. _That's not who I am. I've never had to be brave because there was someone else to be that way for me. _She sniffed and raised her face to look at Bakura. _And am I going to tell Jounouchi about Bakura? No...I know that Bakura is stronger than him and why should I? He didn't really do anything wrong. All he did was talk to me. _

Bakura held a hand to the gate and leaned down, murmuring, "You can feel a lot of things, little Shizuka, but that does not always make them real." Her brow furrowed, puzzled by the underlying tone in his voice. When he withdrew, there was a smirk lighting his features again. He was telling her something without using words and she didn't know what it was. As if he knew, he gave a soft chuckle and then glanced behind her. "I have better things to do than deal with silly little school girls." He turned then and walked away. "Think about what I said."

Shizuka stared after him before sighing and moving to return to the court. She blinked when she saw that a good majority of the girls were staring at her in awe. Blushing in embarrassment, she ducked her head and hurried over to them, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Shizuka, what were you doing talking to Ryou Bakura?" One of her friends, Kyoko, asked. "He's a junior..."

"Uh...He's...my brother's friend. That's all," she quickly told them. She flashed a reassuring smile. Everyone cast her skeptical looks. As they returned to the court to continue their game, Shizuka knew not one of them believed her excuse. They wouldn't dispute her claim, however, seeing as how it was a credible enough story. She wasn't entirely sure how to describe her reasons for speaking to Bakura herself.

--

Shizuka peered up at the apartment and wondered if Bakura was still in control of Ryou's body. She had told herself that she was simply coming to make sure that Ryou was well. Inwardly, she knew that she was dwelling over what Bakura had told her. She had gone home already and was dressed in her street clothes with a bag of cookies in her hand. She figured she could bribe her way into his apartment so that she could talk to him.

Breathing in deeply, she moved forward into the apartment. She had already called in advance to figure out which floor and apartment room he was located in. She took the elevator up to the fifth floor and then went to the door that was his. She raised her hand, allowing it to hover a moment before the knuckles struck the door a few times. She waited, glancing around nervously and knocked again. This time, the door swung open and it wasn't Ryou who answered the door. Shizuka froze, feeling her insides freeze as her eyes moved down Bakura's state of undress. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his chest and he was wearing jeans and his feet...were bare. She gasped and lurched backward, strangely shaken awake by his feet.

"I'm sorry!" She sputtered, her cheeks flushing. "I didn't...Here, take this!" She thrust the bag at him. He looked at it and took it without a word. "It's for Ryou – but, I mean, you can have some. I mean...I mean..." She pressed a palm to her forehead, staring at him, humiliated. "Were you getting ready to go to sleep?" She asked at last in a meek tone. Only then did his neutral expression change to that of one of mischief. He pulled the door open wider.

"Come in." She lowered her hand and rubbed her knuckles together anxiously. A tiny bell in her mind was jangling in warning, loud and intrusive. After a brief battle with the bell, she stepped inside the apartment, reminding herself that she could draw Ryou out of Bakura whenever she wanted. She knew that if she spoke to him and not the thief of the Sennen Ring, he could emerge.

Bakura shut the door behind her and Shizuka looked around, surprised by the utter cleanliness of the apartment. He walked past her, peering in the bag. He removed a cookie and took a bite out of it, turning to look at her. He seemed less...threatening, somehow, in his casual attire and natural surroundings. That calmed her mind somewhat, even though she knew that she shouldn't trust him.

"You came to bring him cookies?" He finally questioned.

"No...I mean, yes. I mean...I don't know why I came." She shifted uncomfortably. "I wanted to talk to Ryou about what you said. Even though you're his darkness, it doesn't mean he's a necessarily bad person." Her eyebrows knitted together as she gazed across at Bakura. There was an unfathomable expression in his eyes as he finished the cookie and set the bag aside on the couch. "I guess, since Ryou is the good part of you, that you're not a bad person, either. You couldn't have always been like this."

"You admitted it yourself: you barely know Ryou. Why get involved in his personality struggles? He's miserable and as far as I can tell, he makes himself that way. Leave him be. If he doesn't want happiness, then why force it on him?"

"I don't know," she murmured, looking away. "Maybe because I know that he's miserable and I want to help. He's not very social and I wish I knew why that was. He could make himself to be such a wonderful person if he tried, but he isn't. I want him to know that there is the possibility of happiness for him. He can't keep living like he is – it's unhealthy. You don't even try to stop it!"

"Don't you get it?" He growled, his eyes narrowing. "He's ashamed of having darkness in him. He looks at Yuugi and feels guilty for everything I've done. I'm still my own person, even if I am a part of him at the same time. _That_ is why he isolates himself. He feels he isn't worthy of company."

"But he is!" She cried, horrified that Ryou would think such a thing. "How can he possibly believe that? Why would he even compare himself to Yuugi that way? Because he's the King of Games? Because he's so popular? He shouldn't care about that! That doesn't always bring people happiness."

"Tch," Bakura snorted.

"Or do you encourage him?"

"No. If you've noticed, whenever I take his body, I go out and am seen by people. He would rather stay at home and pretend to not exist." Shizuka straightened and then walked to Bakura, grabbing his shirt and tugging at it a bit.

"Then why don't you drop control so _he_ is seen? Why don't you help him, if you're supposed to be a part of him?" He stared at her silently, his eyes dark. She frowned and then looked down at her hands. She was so caught up in her outraged emotions that she hadn't realized what she was doing. She stared blankly at the pale flesh of his chest and slowly, her eyes rounded to saucers and she snatched her hands from his shirt. She pressed her hands to her chest and raised her gaze to his guiltily, her face warming.

"Meddlesome," he muttered, a version of the same word he had used to describe her in the alley. He grabbed her hands and pulled her up to him. She let out a tiny squeak of surprise, her face burning as her cold hands touched the warmth of his flesh. He released her hands and bent his head, his mouth molding to hers. Her instinct was to move back, but instead she closed her eyes and eased nearer to him. The kiss was rough and purely dominant. She knew the moment Bakura released control when the kiss matched her own response: shy and uncertain.

She withdrew and gave a tiny smile to Ryou, who looked baffled and yet pleased. He gave a reluctant smile, blushing a bit. "I wish I could say I was sorry," he said, laughing slightly, "but I'm really not." She giggled and then hugged him, pressing her cheek to his.

"Did you hear everything I said?"

"...Yes. Bakura made me listen." He withdrew from her hug and sighed, rubbing the back of his head, a troubled expression crossing his face.

"I meant what I said, Ryou," she told him, her eyes filling with worry at his expression. "It's not right for you to compare yourself to Yuugi. We all have dark sides, whether they are larger than others or not shouldn't matter. My brother used to do all kinds of terrible things – that's what Anzu told me. We're just different. Yuugi's just special, I guess."

Ryou let loose another sigh. "I have blood on my hands, Shizuka. Bakura has killed people – people that I have wished dead, even. It was my fault. He was responding to my emotions. There have been times he has done bad things on his own, but most of the time it's me. He does the things I couldn't."

"The difference between you and other people is that you have someone to carry out the bad things you think," she said matter-of-factly. "Please, Ryou – don't let it weigh on your mind for very long. You _are_ a good person. Good people can have bad thoughts." He eyed her and then gradually, a smile formed on his mouth. It was the first time that she felt she was receiving a genuine smile from him. She grinned and hugged him again. When his arms tightened around her, she knew that he had accepted that part of him he so hated before.

--

"My sister's only fifteen, Ryou, so you better watch what you say and do to her, GOT IT?" Ryou gave a nervous laugh as Jounouchi glowered at him, pushing his face in Ryou's. "If I see you fondling her like some kind of blow up doll, you're gonna wish you never met me." Shizuka sighed and pushed her brother away with a smile. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Ryou isn't going to hurt me, Jounouchi! Stop threatening him." Her brother gave a last growl before retreating back inside the school while she remained in the courtyard with Ryou. She watched Jounouchi saunter back inside, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. She felt a hand at her waist and glanced up at Bakura as he pulled her close and kissed her.

"Ryou isn't the one he has to worry about fondling you," he remarked as he lifted his head. She gave a slight laugh, knowing that to be only too true.

_Finis_

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DIS: Hmm...I kind of rather like this couple. I was sort of working on Ryou's personality from YuGiOh Season Zero. Well, I hope I managed to keep all of them in character. Please leave a review on your way out, telling me how I did. Ciao!


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